Performer: Nicholas Morris

Olivia Fuchs directs Monteverdi's early opera in a sparse staging with a consistently fine cast. 

Emily Howard's new opera, an Aldeburgh Festival commission, takes an ambitiously modernist approach to a dystopian story of loneliness: a tough, but thought-provoking work. 

One of Edinburgh's most cherished choirs, The Calton Consort has, in its nine-year history, amassed a loyal following. Under the direction of former Cambridge choral scholar, Jason Orringe, it has given memorable performances of many challenging works, such as Stravinsky's Les Noces, and Schnittke's Choir Concerto.